Sunday's Bartelt Road shooting second in less than 2 months

Iowa City police are seeking at least one man who is thought to be involved in Sunday's shooting near a Pheasant Ridge Apartments complex on Bartelt Road — the second shooting in the neighborhood in less than two months.

Police responded at about 3 a.m. Sunday to 2626 Bartelt Road for multiple reports of gunshots. Police say the first officers on the scene witnessed multiple people running from the area near Roberts and Bartelt roads.

So far no injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made following the shooting.

"We have no victims, so for the most part it's discharging firearms in the city limits and it's not really a serious offense, unfortunately. More importantly for us is to try to locate the weapon and get it off the street," said Lt. Mike Brotherton, in the Iowa City Police Department's criminal investigation unit. "Witness accounts indicate that a lot of the shots were fired up into the air and into the ground."

Roughly 24 shell casings were located in the area and the incident appears to have carried over from an altercation that took place earlier that evening near downtown Iowa City on Market Street near Old Brick Church and Community Center, Brotherton said.

"We think it might have stemmed from a social gathering that was being held earlier downtown at Old Brick; we had a fight call down there," Brotherton said.

One suspect thought to be involved in the shooting was described as a black male, about 6-foot-1, wearing braids and a black hoodie with white stripes, according to a Sunday news release.

Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine said Sunday's shooting is the latest in an apparent growth in crime in the neighborhood west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of Melrose Court.

"Certainly I think it's been percolating more and more, I'd say in the last 18 to 24 months. We are watching it closely," Hargadine said. "We have beefed up our presence down there and will continue to do so."

Police say Sunday's gunfire at Pheasant Ridge Apartments appears to be unrelated to the March 7 shooting that saw more than one dozen shots fired inside and outside the apartment building at 2608 Bartelt Road, police say.

One woman who was inside her apartment at the time was injured during the shooting after a bullet hit her in the spine, paralyzing her, according to court documents. At least four nearby vehicles also were struck by gunfire, police say.

So far police have arrested 19-year-old Gage M. Rupp and 20-year-old Devasier J. Cungtion, aka "Vassie," of Cedar Rapids in connection with the March shooting. Both have been charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon and reckless use of a firearm, both Class C felonies.

Devasier was still being held Monday in the Johnson County Jail on a $60,000 bond while Gage posted his identical bond Thursday. Cungtion is scheduled to attend a May 20 trial while Rupp's trial is slated for July 29. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Still wanted in connection to the March shooting on Iowa City warrants are:

Travonte Derrane Hughes, of Cedar Rapids, for intimidation with a dangerous weapon and assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Hughes is described as a 19-year-old black male, 5-foot-9, 153 pounds.

Dimione Jamal Walker, of Iowa City, for intimidation with a dangerous weapon and assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Walker is described as a 20-year-old black male, 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds. Walker has a pending charge for second-degree theft, a class D felony, according to the Iowa courts website.

Although little additional information has been released about the shooting, court documents indicate that the gunfire took place when Rupp was allegedly attending a party at the apartment complex.

Hargadine said Monday that a second individual received minor injuries in the March shooting and police think the alleged shooters and victims were acquaintances.

"Everybody knew each other and there were definitely two sides to the issue but they were spraying the wall with gunfire and two got hit. ... They were hit with friendly fire," Hargadine said. "I think it added a challenge to the investigation, we're certain the people that were hit knew who it was who was doing the shooting, they were all well-acquainted with each other."

With police presence ramped up around the Bartelt Road neighborhood, Hargadine said other options will be weighed in managing increased violence in west Iowa City.

"We're discussing a number of different things, one of the things that has popped up is the possibility of a substation out there. That's something that we are willing to discuss," Hargadine said. "We're going to give it our full attention until we can get crime subsided."

Since opening in 2010 in the Pepperwood Plaza, the southeast Iowa City police substation has played a huge role in the reduction of crime in southeast Iowa City as well as making the area more attractive to residents and businesses, Hargadine said.

Anyone with information about either the shooting or the location of the wanted individuals is encouraged to contact the Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers at 358-TIPS (8477). The Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of these suspects. All calls are confidential, and individuals do not need to reveal their identity to collect a reward.